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Ukunqoba kwendlovukazi
Nami ngiyabuzwela ubuhlungu
BONA ZULU - June 2007
UKUVAKASHELA elaseSouth Africa kufanele kube yinto eyigugu onyakeni wanoma yimuphi umculi, kodwa akusikho lokho kuphela okwenza abantu bathi u-2007 uzoba wunyaka omuhle kuMary J Bilge. Kulo nyaka iCD yakhe eshisa izikhotha ethi The Breakthrough yakhethwa kumaGrammy ayisishiyagalombili. KumaGrammy okwakungaka-49 wathola imiklomelo yeBest Female R&B Vocal Performance noweBest R&B Song, ngengoma ethi Be Without You, noweBest R&B Album.
"Kuyisibusiso lokhu okungehlelayo. Kuhle ukwazi ukuthi ngisaqhubeka nomculo," kusho yena.
"Kunabaculi abakhipha ama-albhamu amabili noma eyodwa emva kwalokho banyamalale. Liningi ithalente lapha phandle kodwa ubani owaziyo ukuthi kwenziwa yini ukuthi omunye aphumelele omunye angaphumeleli" Ubani owaziyo ukuthi leyo mpumelelo izothatha isikhathi esingakanani"
"Kwi-Breakthrough ngicula ngobunzima engidlule kubona."
Impilo kaBlige ibinzima, udlule ebuphofini, ezidakamizweni nasekuhlukunyezweni ngokocansi.
Indawo embi
Wazalelwa eBronx eNew York ngomhlaka 11 January 1971 kanti wayeneminyaka emine ngesikhathi ubaba wakhe owayecula i-jazz eshiya umama wabo uCora.
Wadalula ukuthi wanukubezwa ngumuntu owayengumngani womndeni wakubo eneminyaka emihlanu. Wayeka isikole ngenxa yokusebenzisa izidakamizwa.
Impilo yayinzima lapho babehlala khona. "Ngangilwa njalo. Kwakufanele uzilwele ukuze ungabanjwa inkunzi.
"Ukukhulela endaweni eyingozi kufana nokuhlala nenqwaba yezinkalankala. Uma uzama ukubaleka, ziyakucindezela zikuvimbele."
Emculweni wangena engazelele. Wayeneminyaka engu-17 ngesikhathi eqala ukubamba amatoho. Wayekuthanda nokucwala izinwele zabangani bakhe.
Ngolunye usuku ezihlalele nabangani bakhe e-mall, bamcela ukuba acule kwi-karaoke aqophe ingoma ka-Anita Baker ethi Rapture. Emva kwalokho umama wakhe wathatha i-tape wayinika isoka lakhe elayidlulisela kumngani walo, lowo mngani wayidlulisela kwabe-Uptown Records...
Ukungazifezi izethembiso
UMary wasayina ikontileka kwathi ngo-1992 wakhipha iCD ethi What's The 411". U-Sean "Puffy" Combs wafaka isandla kuleyo CD kanti izingoma ezithi You Remind Me nethi Real Love zaphuma phambili kwezeR&B.
Emva kwalokho akazange akuthole ukuphumula. Wayethwetshulwa izithombe, abonakale emphakathini, abe nezingxoxo, athwebule izithombe zama-video, athuthukise ama-albhamu akhe emsakazweni abuye ahambe ecula nabaculi abanjengoBobby Brown neBoyz II Men.
Kwezwakala amahlebezi okuthi uMary akafiki uma kufanele athwetshulwe izithombe nokuthi wayengabonakali uma kufanele azilolonge noma abambe izingxoxo.
Namuhla uthi uma ekhumbula lezo zinsuku "zokungazifezi izethembiso" aphatheke kabi. Kodwa uthi kufanele kusolwe nethimba elalimphethe ngalokho.
"Abantu babethatha izinqumo ngami kodwa ngangingakwenzi engangingahambisani nako."
Yilokho okubuhlungu ngemboni yomculo kanti abalandeli abakwazi. "Kufanele ukhokhe yonke imali inkampani yokurekhoda eyisebenzisile ngawe ngaphambi kokuba uthole eyakho," kusho uMary.
"Ngangisebenza kanzima kodwa kokunye imali ngingayitholi. Lokho kwakungiphatha kabi."
Manje izinto sezishintshile. "Sengingasho ukuthi ngingusomabhizinisi. Ngiyakwazi ukuphatha impilo yami kanti akekho umuntu ongamethemba uma kukhulunywa ngemali yakho nempilo yakho."
Washintsha
NgoNovember 1994 wakhipha iCD ethi My Life nayo eyaphrojuswa nguCombs owayeseyimenenja yakhe. Njengoba nesihloko sayo sisho, izingoma ezikuyona zigxile empilweni yakhe.
Wavuma ukuthi nakuba ayedumile, wayenenkinga yokusebenzisa izidakamizwa, ephuza utshwala egqilazekile nesoka lakhe limhlukumeza.
Ngo1995, uMary waqopha ingoma ethi Not Gon' Cry eyathola i-platinum. Yabhalwa yabuye yaphrojuswa nguBabyface kanti iyezwakala kwiWaiting To Exhale. Wathola iGrammy yakhe yokuqala nge-I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By, ingoma ayeyicula neMethod Man.
Abantu babethi iphimbo lakhe lifana nelika-Aretha Franklin kanti lokho bakusho emva kokuzwa iCD ayikhipha ngo-1999 ethi Mary.
Kuleyo CD yakhe wayecula nabaculi abanjengo-Elton John (owayedlala upiyano emucwini othi Deep Inside, owawunamagama ayecashunwe emucwini ka-Elton owaduma ngeminyaka yo-1970 owawuthi (Bennie And The Jets), Eric Clapton (Give Me You), Lauryn Hill (owabhala waphrojusa, wabuye wacula kwi-All That I Can Say) - kanye no-Aretha Franklin.
Akasakwenzi okubi
Ngo-August 28, 2001, abakwaMCA bakhipha i-albhamu kaMary yesihlanu ethi No More Drama. Ingoma yokuqala ekule-albhamu ethi Family Affair, eyaphrojuswa nguDr. Dre, yaba ngeyokuqala kwiBillboard Hot 100, lapho yahlala khona amasonto ayisithupha elandelana.
Isihloko sayo sasibeka isithombe ngempilo kaMary eyayinokuthula kanti imicu ethi Where I've Been nothi Flying Away, ikhuluma ngokunqoba nokuzalwa kwakhe kabusha.
"Uma kufika isikhathi sokukhathala okwenzayo usuke usubona ukuthi ubani isitha sakho nokuthi kusuke kunguwe uqobo," kusho uMary.
"Ave kungelula ukuvuma amaphutha akho kodwa kuhle ngoba ekugcineni impilo yami yaqoqeka. Sengiyakwazi ukubona lapho nginenkinga khona ngikubone futhi nokubaluleka kokuba ngilungise leyo nkinga."
Kwakusemqoka ukuba angapheli amandla ngoba i-albhamu yakhe eyalandela, esihloko sithi Love & Life, yagxekwa kakhulu. Nakuba le CD yakhe yagcina ithole i-platinum, abantu babengajahi neze ukuyithenga. I-Breakthrough eyakhishwa ngoDecember 2005 yathengwa ubuthaphuthaphu yaba yiCD yeR&B eculwa ngumuntu wesimame eyaqhuba kahle esontweni lokuqala ikhishiwe.
U-Mary ushade noKendu Isaacs kanti emicwini yakhe efana nethi Can't Hide From Luv, Be Without You, I Found My Everything uthola umlayezo omayelana nothando nokusho ukuthi uhleli kahle emshadweni wakhe.
Usafuna impumelelo
Umyeni wakhe nguyena owehlukanisa uMary notshwala emva kokuba emnqumele ugwayi katiki wathi uzomshiya uma eqhubeka nokufika ekhaya edakiwe. Bashada ngoDecember 7, 2003 kanti bahlala nezingane zikaKendu ezintathu azithola kwayeshade naye esikhathini esedlule. Akanazingane kanti uthi kungenzeka agcine ezitholile.
Ebuzwa ukuthi yiziphi izinhloso zakhe, uMary waphendula kanjena: "Ngifuna ukucula kuphela. Ngizocula kuze kuphele izwi lami. Uma liphela, ngiyoba nguphrojusa.
"Ngisayilambele impumelelo. Abantu babelahle ithemba ngami. Manje ngihlonishwa abancane nabadala ngenxa yomculo wami. Ngiyaziqhenya ngalokho. Abantu kufanele bazi ukuthi ngiyafana nabo nami ngiyabuzwela ubuhlungu," kusho uMary. [z]
Seyadlula iminyaka yokuziphatha kabi kuMary kanti manje useyisibonelo esihle kubalandeli bakhe.
Nakuba uMary J Blige esewine amaGrammy wazakhela negama emculweni we-hip-hop/soul ziningi izingqinamba adlula kuzona acula ngazo emculweni wakhe. Noma edlule kulezo zinhlungu, ukwazile ukulwa waze waphumelela...
Ekuqaleni babembiza ngo- "Aretha Franklin omusha," uMary owagcina esenza ezibukwayo eshaya ngesakhe isitayela emculweni.
BONA ZULU - June 2007
indaba ngu-ISAAC KWELA
izithombe ngabeGETTY IMAGES/GALLO IMAGES
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'Ngisayilambele impumelelo'
BONA ZULU - June 2007
"Ngingusomabhizinisi ongcono manje kanti sengiyakwazi ukuziphathela impilo yami nomculo wami," uMary.
